Jairam Apologises To Sonia Gandhi

Jairam Ramesh, secretary of the economic affairs committee of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) yesterday "sincerely and unreservedly" apologised for the embarrassment caused to the Congress and Congress president Sonia Gandhi on account of his interview to Asiaweek in which he was quoted to have said that Congress could not come to power for fifty years under Sonia Gandhi.

Replying to the show cause notice served to him by AICC general secretary Oscar Fernandes on May 13 asking him to explain why disciplinary action should not be taken against him for the interview that was subsequently picked up by the Hindustan Times, Ramesh said, "I regret that the interview has been torn out of context and misinterpreted. I am sorry that it has given the impression that I have violated party discipline. I sincerely and unreservedly apologise".

 

Ramesh's reply was released by the party to the Press at the official press briefing yesterday. In the reply, Ramesh said he could claim with a clear conscience that it was never his intention to raise the banner of revolt. He recalled how he had been associated with the party since Rajiv Gandhi days and had been an AICC office-bearer for the past 30 months. He also listed the work he was doing with various Congress ruled state governments without taking any remuneration from them. Besides, he has been arguing for the party in the print and electronic media. "My commitment to the Congress is unwavering and total", he said.

About the interview to Asiaweek, he said he had given the interview but `it was' informal and unrecorded. It was on the current state of the Congress". He said his intention was to be `balanced and objective'. He said he also highlighted the positive contributions of the Congress president but that did not appear in the interview.